Frances Lopez is an extraordinary nurse who goes above and beyond to provide my husband and me with superb care and comfort at each infusion visit. She is a credit to the nursing profession and Dana-Farber. Frances immediately greets us, asks how we are doing, and sets up the infusion room in a way that provides the most comfort for my husband. Due to compression fractures in his back, he is treated in a bed, and she adjusts the bed just right, so my husband is as comfortable as possible. She then asks how my husband and I are doing and really listens to what my husband says, taking her time to respond and comment. She sets up his tray just the way he likes it and asks what he wants. Frances explains the treatment my husband will receive in detail at each visit and patiently listens to and answers all our questions. She seamlessly coordinates with the doctor and the team when we have questions and facilitates quick responses. No detail is too small for Frances to go the extra mile to make us feel comfortable and welcome.

For example, on her last visit, she heard me come back from the comfort station and tell my husband there were no more Fig Newtons, and she left and came back with a Fig Newton package she had magically found. This is just one small example of how Frances routinely goes above and beyond to provide exceptionally compassionate care to my husband and me. Frances knows we have a dog that we need to pick up from Doggie Daycare on Cape Cod by 7:00 pm, so she does everything humanly possible to expedite our infusions and smooth out the bumps along the way. The few times we were not with Frances, she sought us out and took time out of her busy schedule to stop by and ask how we were doing. In short, Frances is an exemplary nurse who practices compassionate care with every fiber of her being. She treats us the way she would want her own family to be treated, making us feel welcome and like family at Yawkey 7 at Dana-Farber.